There were a few other groups, who were not invited present (not sure who invited them, because we only sent invitations to the leaders of the elected parties):
– Mike Leger from Forest Info
– Agricultural Aliance NB.
Thanks to Donald Bowser, SSNB vice-Chair for putting this together.

The only media outlet in attendance was the NB Media Coop, which was surprising, because this was one of the MAJOR election issues in the NB General Election (held on September 24, 2018): http://nbmediacoop.org/2018/10/18/meeting-on-glyphosate-ban-brings-all-legislature-parties-together-for-the-first-time/

UPDATE: PLATFORM COMMITMENTS to #StopSprayingNB for NB election 2018: (will be updated when we receive more information)

– NB Green party: “Immediately end the spraying of herbicides (glyphosate) on forest lands and under powerlines, given the risks the chemical poses to natural ecosystems and wildlife” (pg 26)(see pg. 26 of election platform): http://www.greenpartynb.ca/2018_platform

– NBNDP: “. The NDP would end glyphosate spraying,..”. https://nbndp.ca/en-our-platform/

2) Purchase: an Election Sign Topper ($7) for your existing SSNB sign, or buy a SIGN & Topper ($15) to place on your property so that political candidates and other voters are reminded about this campaign that is supported by a hand written petition drive with 35,000 signatories but was ignored by NB Govt.

Payment: email caroline@stopsprayingnb.ca to make payment and pick up arrangements. We have sign-selling volunteers all over NB!

Stop Spraying NB (SSNB) has released a “report card” on the performance of the three political parties in the 58th NB legislature on their record on the issue of herbicide spraying on public land to mark beginning of the annual herbicide spray season in the province.

SSNB, which is calling for a ban on herbicide spraying on crown land in New Brunswick, has given all three political parties in the Legislature a failing grade when it comes to bringing about such a ban, although the Progressive Conservatives and Greens did make some efforts on the issue.

Clearly the New Brunswick Liberal party, under leadership of Brian Gallant, has shown no interest to act on 35,000-signature petition from constituents, which has been submitted to the legislature. Restigouche West (Liberal) MLA Gilles Lepage and Fredericton South (Green) MLA David Coon tabled 6000 petition signatures each in May, 2016. David Coon tabled and verified the remainder of the 35,000 signatures between December 2015 and November 2017. The PC Party proposed a motion late 2017 that would have stopped spraying for a period of review for 9 months while a working group made of government departments and outside stakeholders was formed and drafted a report on the effects of spraying, However, that came after the annual spray program.

The Liberal Party successfully reduced the motion to nothing by amending this to only request an update from the Office of the Chief Medical Officer on its Glyphosate Report (released early August 2016), which never considered the impact of glyphosate in forestry in NB.

Even though Green Party MLA David Coon has always been a supporter of SSNB’s mandate, his vision was a little blurry on the day of the PC motion debate; he left the legislature after commenting, and MISSED the vote on the motion to attend an appointment with his optometrist.

Marks issued to members of the 58th legislature of NB:

– ‘F’ for all MLAs for failure to implement legislation for a ban on public land spraying (crown land, NB Power, CN Rail)

– Mixed marks for effort: ‘F’ for the Liberals, ‘C’ for the PC party, a blurry ‘ B-‘ for NB Green Party MLA David Coon.

Donald Bowser, SSNB Vice-Chair remarked, “SSNB is deeply disappointed in the performance of the current political parties to act to stop spraying in NB. Despite the tabling of the largest petition in the history of the legislature. It has failed to enact a ban and listen to these voices. None of the political parties has engaged in meaningful dialogue with SSNB and our coalition partners to develop draft legislation, and we can only hope the members of the 59th legislature will.”

On a positive note, SSNB has enjoyed support at a municipal level from Petitcodiac Mayor Gerald Gogan and Moncton Mayor Dawn Arnold. Also,Sackville, Cap-Pelée, Tide head, Paquetville, Tracadie, Miscou support this movement.

SSNB has the following questions to candidates running in NB’s provincial general election, to be held on Monday September 24, 2018:

– Will you work to stop taxpayers’ funding of the herbicide spray program?

– Will you work to ban herbicide spraying on public land?

SSNB’s Chair, Dr. Caroline Lubbe-D’Arcy, and Vice Chair Donald Bowser both held up a large mock cheque issued by NB Tax Payers for $2.8 million and asked voters, “Do you want to sign an annual cheque for herbicide spraying to forestry corporations for another 4 years? If not, then vote for candidates and political parties that vow to stop this practice.”

Lubbe-D’Arcy states that SSNB has had commitments in writing from three of the five political parties in NB to stop spraying: NB Green Party, People’s Alliance Party of NB (PANB) and NBNDP. No response has been received from the PC party and the Liberal Party.

SSNB will issue a tool kit to supporters, which will help voters evaluate candidates at the door and at candidate meetings. SSNB will continue to sell signs and bumper stickers, so that candidates and voters are reminded to keep this issue in mind when they head to the voters’ booth on Sept. 24, 2018.

At the media conference, SSNB will issue a report cardfor the performance of the three political parties in the NB Legislature in response to a petition with 35,000 hand-written signatures to ban herbicide spraying on public land (crown forests, NB Power right of ways). SSNB will also release its assessment of each political party’s platform on herbicide spraying on crown land in the lead-up to the 2018 provincial election

Media will be invited to ask questions following presentations from the speakers.

The board of Stop Spraying New Brunswick welcomes the decision by the provincial government to ban the spraying of glyphosate in the watershed that feeds Greater Moncton.

Moncton’s watershed was the most heavily spayed in 2017.

SSNB board member Don Bowser credits the leadership of Moncton council and Mayor Dawn Arnold.

“This small step forward shows the value of local leadership like Dawn’s. We can stop spraying one community at a time,” said Bowser.

Yet the announcement spraying will not take place in the Turtle Creek watershed this year begs some questions.

Why has the government refused to heed the will of other communities that have have made similar calls to end spraying? And then there’s the 35,000 people who signed a petition asking for a ban of spraying, a demand the government flatly ignored.

So far, three political parties have vowed to ban the use of glyphosate, which would save the taxpayer $2.4 million in annual subsidies to forestry companies participating in the spraying program. SSNB is encouraging voters to vote to end spraying in the next election – not just for Moncton, but for the whole province.

New Brunswick residents are paying private forestry corporations more than ever to apply herbicides on public lands.

Documents obtained by Stop Spraying New Brunswick through the right to information process show that in 2015, the government spent $2.3 million to subsidize herbicide application on public land, with an additional $419,498 spent on spraying private lands.

In 2016 the costs were about the same, with $2.29 million spent to spray public land, with a program total of $2.77 million

Last year, the total subsidy increased to $2.86 million.

“The increased costs make no sense, given the public demands to end the practice of herbicide spraying,” said Vern Faulkner, the communcations director for Stop Spraying New Brunswick. “This taxpayer subsidy is one of the many reasons more and more people each day call for an

end to herbicide spraying.”

In 2017, some 15,841 hectares of public land were sprayed with herbicides despite a petition from more than 35,000 residents calling for an end to this practice.

Glyphosate – the main ingredient in the herbicides applied to Crown land – has been scientifically linked to reproductive defects, liver issues, cancers and a wide array of other health concerns. Further, it has been shown to cause long-term damage to aquatic species and insects, including pollinators like bees. Many in the province also believe the spraying program is part of a larger mismanagement of forests that has led to diminished deer populations.

Herbicides are applied to Crown lands to eliminate hardwood species that forestry companies do not consider valuable, despite business cases showing that harvest of maple and birch products could take place with benefit to the economy.

“The government is not only ignoring calls to end spraying, it is spending more each year to have a dangerous chemical applied to our forests. It’s a slap in the face to the thousands of citizens who have asked their government to do the right thing,” said Faulkner.

Representatives of SSNB will be on hand at the Moncton Sportsman’s Show at the Moncton Coliseum, running Friday to Sunday.

The board of Stop Spraying New Brunswick today approved a new logo. The simple, clean design features a leafless tree and the name of the organization.

Several designs were displayed on the SSNB Facebook page with a poll seeking input, and the tree-and-name design proved the most popular, with a similar design coming second.

“The logo that won captures the main concern of our supporters: the loss of hardwood trees and our biodiverse forests, with the resultant loss of wildlife and economic opportunities in rural New Brunswick,” stated SSNB president Caroline Lubbe-D’Arcy.

The new logo, created in-house and unveiled shortly after the decision, provides SSNB a modern-looking logo that expresses its fundamental concerns in a simple fashion. It retains the black-red-white colour theme of the former logo.

The organization will soon launch a campaign where it will create videos featuring citizens of the province expressing their concerns about herbicide application.

The government has refused to end its spraying program – which costs $2 million per year – despite some 35,000 signatories to a petition calling for the end of such activity on Crown Land.

Today, Stop Spraying New Brunswick, Inc. (SSNB) filed an official request seeking to learn how much the taxpayer pays to have forestry companies spray glyphosate-based herbicides on Crown forests.

“It’s important for the public to know how much they are subsidizing big forestry companies,” stated Vern Faulkner, a director with the non-profit advocacy group.

The Right to Information and Privacy Protection Act request, better known as a freedom of information request, asks for total costs spent in 2015, 2016 and 2017.

In 2015, the Auditor-General filed an official report where she revealed the government spent approximately of $2 million each year to fund glyphosate-based herbicide spraying on Crown forests.

This support given to private forestry amounted to $2.05 million in 2009, $1.92 million in 2010, $2.25 million in 2011, and $2.09 million in 2012.

Many of the supporters of SSNB believe the province, by allowing the application of glyphosate on Crown forests, has not done enough to protect the environment. This view is supported by a growing number of peer-reviewed scientific studies, but SSNB also wishes to highlight the costs the taxpayer incurs.

“Simply put, the government spends taxpayer’s money supporting private forestry company activity on public land,” said Faulkner. “It’s a subsidy, nothing less, and the voter – as we approach an election – should know how much we’re paying.”

The government now has 30 days to respond to the Right to Information and Privacy Protection Act request.